My Wolf Prince

The Lampertz’s carriage, which had come to pick up Claudia, left the royal capital for Ilhea early in the morning.

Prior to their departure, Isaak visited the Rosenheim House and asked Claudia’s father, Theodore, to forgive him for not being able to attend the ball. Theodore and her older brother, Ralph who for some reason was also present, accepted Isaak’s apology.

Claudia had woken up earlier than usual. And thus, before she knew it, she fell asleep to the comfortable shaking of the carriage.

Claudia suddenly woke up.

She rubbed her eyes and looked around, then she remembered that she was in a carriage. In front of her was the figure of Isaak.

(….Isaak, are you asleep?)

Isaak with his arms and legs crossed had a difficult look on his face with his eyes closed. He didn’t have a jacket on, so he looked as if he was cold. And his jacket was draped over Claudia.

(He put it on me? Something like this, perhaps…… Maybe you’re being nice to me? )

Claudia, lifting herself off the seat, approached to put the jacket back on Isaak.

She gently put the jacket over him so as not to wake him up, and then stared at Isaak’s face intently. Without thinking, she extended her index finger towards the deep crease etched between his eyebrows.

(Usually, there are more creases when you talk to me. I wonder if they disappear when you’re asleep……)

Just before Claudia’s finger touched, Isaak woke up like a snap.

「……!!」

Her extended index finger flew back in a hurry, such that Isaak was stunned and left wondering what had just happened.

「That surprised me. Don’t wake up so suddenly. 」

「……surprised? That should be my line. 」

Claudia pressed down on her chest, her heart pounding and went back to where she was originally sitting. After her unreasonable outburst to cover up what she had intended to do, Claudia said,

「Jacket. You looked cold, so I thought I would return it. 」

「Oh……it wasn’t that cold. 」

「Thank you. Isaak—」

Then Claudia remembered that her father had taught her to be respectful of the man who would become her husband.

「—sama? 」

「Why did that ended like a question? 」

Claudia pouted a bit as she talked to Isaak.

「You know I’m not used to it. But I’ll get used to it from now on. 」

「It doesn’t really matter. 」

「……but. 」

「It’s not like we’re strangers. 」

「……then, I’ll do as you said. 」

(Come to think of it, adding ‘—sama’ to change the way you address a person close to you to show respect feels cold — like being estranged — something like this definitely happened a long time ago.)

She tried to remember when it was, but she couldn’t remember clearly.

So Claudia was silent for a while, and before she knew it, Isaak had closed his eyes again. There was no denying how tired he was.

This time, Claudia decided to remain quiet so as not to wake Isaak up.

Wordlessly, she drops her gaze to her own hands. She slowly made magic flow into her fingers, making small lights appear.

Just as she was about to become listless, she noticed Isaak’s gaze.

「I thought you fell asleep. 」

「…that’s something Alex also did. 」

「This? That’s right. Alexis-sama taught me how to do it. He said it’s an exercise for control. Somebody had stopped coming to practice with me after all. 」

「……」

Saying this, Claudia glanced at Isaak.

「Do you have anything to say? 」

「…… for now. 」

「Un. 」

「Just don’t break the carriage.」

Clenching the light she gathered on her fingers, Claudia glared at Isaac unpleasantly.

「I’ve had enough. 」

After saying so, she turned away. At this, Isaak opened his mouth to say something.

「Uh……」

「……what? 」

She looked back at him coldly and waited for him to continue, but Isaak was reluctant to say more.

Before Claudia ran out of patience, the carriage wobbled once more and came to a halt.

「Isaak-sama, Claudia-sama, we’ve arrived. 」